Plasterboard Partitions: Device And Installation Of Walls Made Of Gypsum Plasterboard Sheets

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• The choice of material for mounting a plasterboard partition
• The choice of material for mounting the frame
• Advantages of a metal profile as a frame for a partition
• Rivets, cutter or self-tapping screws
• Alternative in choosing the method of mounting the frame
• Arrangement of plasterboard partitions with a metal frame
• Partition installation technology
• Structure cladding

Today drywall is very popular in construction. It is used for the construction of thick soundproof walls, light and thin partitions, some decorative interior elements. Its use as a facing material is due to the ease of working with it. It can be easily processed with any tools. If necessary, grooves or any shaped holes can be milled in its plaster structure. Plasterboard partitions are lightweight and very durable, which, of course, depends on the correct installation technology, frame construction and choice of materials.

The choice of material for mounting a plasterboard partition

Before you start building drywall partitions, you need to choose a material. First of all, you should decide on the purpose of the structure, its location and conditions of use:

1. If the partition is installed in a room in which there is constant moisture of at least 70%, then moisture-resistant drywall should be used. To distinguish it from the usual, just look at the color of the cardboard. The moisture resistant drywall has a green outer layer of paper. And this is perhaps the only sign by which you can outwardly recognize or see the difference. But Knauf claims that its structure is impregnated with special concentrates, and this makes it resistant to humid environments. Its hygroscopic ability is lost. But a plasterboard partition of this type in a humid room will stand for a long time and will not change its parameters. Such sheets are marked with GKLV. It should also be considered an important property of moisture-resistant sheets resistance, or rather, the impossibility of the formation of fungi and mold on them as a result of moisture. The manufacturer was able to achieve this by impregnating the sheets with antiseptic preparations, and impregnated and moisture-resistant compositions provide resistance to water. Also, a significant difference between GKLV and the usual one is the greater weight and of course the cost.
2. If a plasterboard partition with your own hands is installed not only in a humid, but also in a fire hazardous environment, for example, in the kitchen, then GKLO should be used. These drywall sheets are impregnated with anti-fire compounds. The main difference from the usual and moisture resistant is the external sign - the color of the cardboard, which is red. You can also see the difference in the color of the plaster filler. It differs in cost and will be more expensive than both the usual and moisture resistant options.
3. If you need to design plasterboard partitions with your own hands in an ordinary room with normal conditions (humidity not more than 70% and temperature not higher than 30 and not lower than 5 ° C), then ordinary gypsum board sheets can be used. They have the main difference from others in color - they are covered with gray cardboard. These sheets are not impregnated with any moisture-resistant and fire-resistant compounds, therefore their cost is the lowest. They are widely used in hallways, living rooms, bedrooms and other rooms. They are equally well processed, so if the conditions are normal, there are no sources of moisture and fire, then it is not worth paying more just because of the stability properties. When buying such a sheet, you will save up to 30%.

Sheets are produced in several standard sizes in thickness: 6.5 mm, 9 mm and 12.5 mm. In this case, the first standard size corresponds to materials with increased flexibility. It has fiberglass inside that holds the plaster in place when it gets wet. Indeed, for bending into an arc, it must be saturated with moisture. The second type is used for ceilings, so we choose the third standard size 12.5 mm. The length can be both 2.5 and 4.8 m, only the first option is generally on sale. If you need a large plasterboard partition, the sheets can be ordered from the manufacturer according to individual measurements.

The choice of material for mounting the frame

To make a plasterboard partition, it is also necessary to resolve the issue with the frame material. It can be either from a metal profile or from a tree. When solving this problem, you should take into account some factors:

• humidity of the environment;
• temperature regime;
• load.

If there are frequent changes in humidity in the room, then the use of a wooden frame will lead to constant movement. Due to the frequent swelling and drying of wood, the putty will simply crumble from the joints of the gypsum board sheets. And then the made plasterboard partitions with their own hands will become unusable. They will need to be demolished and rebuilt from a metal profile.

The same will be the case in rooms with high temperatures with wood partitions. If the installation of drywall partitions was carried out with undried beams, then after they dry, irreversible changes will occur in the structure: the sheets can move or part, warp or even break. In addition, wood is prone to cracking, which is also very undesirable when building a partition from gypsum board.

Self-erected interior partitions, the frame of which is made of wooden beams, are less resistant to deformation and tension. In both cases, cracking can occur in the places of twisting with self-tapping screws, which will render the entire structure unusable.

So, why do some people choose to install plasterboard partitions with a wooden frame? The answer to this question is quite simple and consists only in the price and availability of the material. But, given the hassle with it, the price indicator cannot break the comparative bar in the direction of wood. In addition, before installation, the bars must be well treated with antiseptic compounds, which at cost will result in a metal profile for partitions.

Advantages of a metal profile as a frame for a partition

Plasterboard interior partitions with a metal profile frame have all the necessary properties for a durable and unchanging existence throughout the entire service life of the entire building. Galvanized metal does not rust from moisture, unless you take into account the joints and piercing with a cutter. The metal profile does not burn, but in the event of a fire, you will still have to rebuild the partition. And this is inevitable. The metal structure will not crack or fall apart over time. In addition, the most complex partition that you can make yourself can be made from the profile. The metal is easy to process, and a cutter can be used for joining, and, if necessary, the material can be bent into any shape.

The profile width can be any of the existing set: 50, 75 and 100 mm. It depends on the purpose of the partition and its technical characteristics.

If any communications are to be laid in the partition, then it is necessary to use a profile with special grooves. This will eliminate the need to make holes yourself.

Rivets, cutter or self-tapping screws

What profile to use for drywall partitions, we have already found out. It remains to answer other questions.

How to make a plasterboard partition, and how to connect the profiles to each other? These questions are next on the list, so first let's figure out the best way to connect a profile.

Today, three types of metal profile connections are used among themselves:

1. Self-tapping screws.
2. Rivets.
3. Cutter, punching with bending.

The first two methods are the most common to carry out the installation of partitions, although much more difficult than the latter. First, hardware is required: self-tapping screws, screws, etc. Secondly, an additional tool is needed - a screwdriver, because you cannot twist it with your hands. And for fastening in the second way, you will need, respectively, a drill, rivets and a rivet. All this requires additional costs. Such a not-so-simple tool like a cutter can solve these problems. He punches a hole and folds its edges in different directions. Thus, a fairly reliable connection is obtained.

Alternative in choosing the method of mounting the frame

The best option would be a mixed mount, that is, all face connections must be made using a cutter. And hidden and most important in terms of loads - with screws or rivets. What is the advantage of the cutter when used on the front of the structure? And the answer is quite simple and lies in the absence of protruding elements, such as screw caps or rivets. The combined installation method helps to answer the question: "How to make a plasterboard partition with high quality and so that the plane is perfectly flat?"

Arrangement of plasterboard partitions with a metal frame

The device of partitions with a metal frame is quite simple. But for a high-quality end result, it is necessary to follow some rules and take into account all the nuances when installing.

In the following figure, you can see the device of drywall partitions, the following elements can be distinguished on it:

1. Frame consisting of rails and racks.
2. The cladding can be multi-layer, depending on the purpose of the partition.
3. Insulation or sound insulator.

Also, the partition can contain parts of the communications hidden inside it. What, by the way, are the advantages of drywall constructions.

Partition installation technology

When making interior drywall partitions with your own hands, you must adhere to the following instructions:

1. The first step is to clear the place where the partition will be installed. Old wall elements, rotting wood, falling stones - everything must be removed. The surface, if necessary, must be leveled: the floor is covered with a screed, the walls are plastered with at least more.
2. After the base is ready, you can start marking. A plasterboard partition with your own hands, done correctly, does not press on the eye with curvature and obliqueness. To achieve this, everything should be done as accurately as possible. Here the main tools will be a long level, a plumb line, and a tracing cord. Ideally, of course, you can apply a laser level. But installing drywall partitions in this way will be very expensive, so you can get by with less money. So, mark the middle line of the partition on the floor. This will be the middle of the guide profile. Marking using a level or plumb line is transferred to the ceiling and walls. Previously, the location of the future location of the doors is marked on the floor.
3. Further, to build the GKL-partitions, it is necessary to screw the guide profile to the floor, walls and ceiling. Moreover, if the floor is often damp, then the metal should be insulated with a special tape. The profile is fastened at intervals of at least 25-30 cm. It depends on the weight and load applied to the wall.

4. The rack profile is installed strictly vertically. This can be controlled with a level. The step of installing the racks should be no more than 60 cm. Why exactly this distance? Because the standard sheet width is 120 cm, and the mineral wool board is 610 mm, which indicates its strong fixation in the structure. Sections of the rack profile are made with a small margin of 2 cm in length in the opposite direction. This is necessary so that it easily fits into both guides of the profile and there is still room for its fixing.

   

5. In order for the interior wall made of drywall with your own hands to turn out to be strong and when you open the doors you do not feel vibrations throughout the structure, you need to install an additional rack profile for them. It is installed next to the main one. And to increase the strength, a wooden block should be put inside it. The door frame must be calculated at the stage of construction, this will exclude the nuances that may arise in the future.

The guide profile is also used to create lintels or shelves that hold adjacent posts together. It should be strictly horizontal.

Structure cladding

The interior plasterboard partition must be strong, therefore, when sheathing the gypsum board structure, there should not be more than one joint on one rack-mount profile. Plasterboard must be staggered with 50% overlap of the adjacent sheet.

You should also remember about the need to shift the joint of the sheets closer to the edge above the doors. This is one of the nuances that must be considered even at the stage of creating a structure from a metal profile.

If the profile for drywall was fixed with a cutter, then the surface always remains flat and smooth. If self-tapping screws were used, then due to their caps, when the cord is pulled, deviations of several millimeters will be visible in the places where the sheets are attached to the profile.

The step of fixing the gypsum board to the profile should be no more than 50 cm with a sheet thickness of at least 12.5 mm. This must be taken into account when installing a drywall partition with your own hands. If the load on the wall is increased, it should be reduced.

Installation of a plasterboard partition ends with the sealing of seams, which are covered with putty. Be sure to put a reinforcing tape from the mesh with a window of 3 to 5 mm on the joints. Also, before the subsequent finishing, it is recommended to seal up all the heads of the screws with which the sheets were screwed. To calculate the required material for the partition, use our online partition calculator.

Video: